


Penitent Feathers

by DoggieCornerW



Category: Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
Genre: Africa, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece & Rome, Archery, Birds, Courage, Female Characters, Female Protagonist, Friendship, Gen, Gods, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Occult, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Shounen Fights, Thunder and Lightning, Vampires, Zodiac
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-01
Updated: 2014-03-27
Packaged: 2017-12-10 02:10:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/780569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoggieCornerW/pseuds/DoggieCornerW
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Saint Seiya: LOST CANVAS tribute story. After Sisyphos, a new Gold Saint emerges to take on the dark stars above an orphanage. It is a short tale about a breakthrough, a stormy rivalry, and enduring emotional demons. </p><p>OCs are present. Also called Cavaleiro De Zodiaco; A Saga de Hades; El mito de hades, El lienzo perdido.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The wings of miracles! Sagittarius enters the war

**Author's Note:**

> Masculine/martial arts manga Saint Seiya is property of Kurumada Masami; the deeply perspective spinoff, "THE LOST CANVAS" (LC) is property of Tetsurogi Shiori, in which this fanfic is based off of. Being deeply inspired by LC, and the fans of Saint Seiya, particularly those in the Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian speaking nations, I create this fanfic. An alternate retelling; pre-LC. There are original characters including a Gold Saint and a Specter.

When evil thrives on the world, warriors known as Saints appear. Fueled by a heroic cause, they deliver hope through their fists; blessed armors that model the constellations wrap their bodies – the eighty eight Cloths of the goddess Athena; within their mortal surfaces, and channeled through their emotions in battle, they burn a universal energy– Cosmos. Corruption on Earth, from man or from God, cannot elude the explosive justice of Saints.

In 18th century Greece, Saints gather in The Sanctuary. From arched and pillared stone monuments, to mountain-tucked columned temples, The Sanctuary was a stark reminder of Ancient Roman Empire. It was the home and proving ground of the righteous Saints, and the secular figure that stood as the Saints’ figure of leadership.

Athena’s statue, her body dressed in a chiton and cuirass, rose tall above the Sanctuary, and its regal presence evoked the goddess’s significance to the world. She, the daughter of Zeus, was sent to Earth to become its valiant protector. In her right hand was Nike, her staff named after victory; in her left hand was the golden aegis of wisdom.

Under its helmet, the statue’s piercing eyes seem to watch The Sanctuary of her Saints diligently. There were five people in the theater’s semi-circular orchestra.

“Whaaaaat?!” a boy in a tunic and thoracic cuirass shrilled. “But, if you do that, doesn’t that mean you want to throw something away?”

“Wait! You’ll lose your strength, don’t do it!” a girl pleaded. She sounded genuinely worried.

“This is her wish,” an elderly woman said, “if it helps in her mission.” The kids frowned; any other words of disapproval were kept back in their thoughts. Marina had a soft aspect and a nurturing voice that gave out unquestionable wisdom. To add along to the elder’s respective visage was the habit she wore. She was a nun; in between her wrinkled fingers, she held long strands of light brown hair. In front of her was the hair’s owner, who had a body wrapped in magnificent gold. Deep-slotted wings and a white waist cape sprouted from the Cloth’s back.

“Hades will awaken soon,” said a giant man; he also wore a gold Cloth. From those words, the winged Gold Saint said nothing. The Saint’s gauntleted hands became fists. There was a long silence, as if everyone’s minds were heavy with contemplation.

“I see that many men enter war, return and not. It’s like either they felt like they’re the only ones who can do it, or they have nothing else to live for,” said the Saint containing the universe of Sagittarius, the guardian of the ninth house.

“However, I want to be just as devoted to justice, and stand on the same ground as the other Gold Saints. Marina,” Sagittarius paused, and then kneeled, “please.”

“Yes.” The nun lifted the hair to her eyes; in her other hand was bronze scissors.

“Lady Athena has given me such an honor. So now, I have to further humble myself,” Sagittarius said.

“Hey, how come? I wear my hair long.” The large man, Aldebaran, said with a grin. He wore the Cloth of the second house, Taurus; and indeed, his white hair was as long as his body.

“I know, but it’s a sign that I am abandoning my identity for a new one. It is a new beginning.” Sagittarius said. Marina squeezed the hair tightly and moved it in between the scissors’ large blades. The boy, Yato, and the girl, Anna, covered their eyes with their hands. The nun squeezed the tool’s grip, and the Gold Saint’s long flowing hair became neck-length. The brown strands fell onto the ground.

Sagittarius continued, “I’ll still be woman, but I’ll probably be more like a man. With this, I’ve given up my figure of lust, my glory of what a man has created, of being a companion.” Marina sighed and fiddled with the flat ends of what remained of Sagittarius’s hair.

“If I recall Valsylia, you told us that the previous Sagittarius had his hair short,” the nun said.

“Master Sisyphos…” The female Saint paused and looked to the ground; she said his name in a woeful voice, then she shook her head.

“He told me, no, he told all of us that we mustn’t give up in hope.” Valsylia looked up the sky and began to stride for the stairs ascending to the temples, “When you have a compassionate and loyal heart, you form great companions. It is that reason why Lady Athena trusts him so much. I want to look up to him and follow him.”

As the female Saint moved from the group, Yato called out to Sagittarius’s back, “Hey! Do you think Sisyphos is really dead?!”

Valsylia stopped for a moment, shook her head, and then resumed walking.


	2. The Virgo House

“I will entrust this task to you.” Those were the Pope’s last words before Valsylia bowed to him. Having survived a centuries-old rule, and an owner of expansive knowledge and wisdom of the Sanctuary, The Pope’s words easily instilled a strong desire of purpose within the new Sagittarius Saint. No difference in gender could shake her loyalty and courage.

After departing the Pope’s Hall, Valsylia descended the temples of her kindred, the Twelve Zodiac Temples. She reached the portico of the sixth temple, and paused to take in a large breath. She walked in, passing in between two sitting statues. Hands folded face-up upon their laps, legs crossed, and their bodies covered in thick robes, the statues were praying upon short pillars. 

Valsylia kept her eyes ahead as she searched for the exit. She side-glanced at a colorful prayer rug against a wall, and noticing that nothing or no one was there, she continued forward at a quick pace. The reason why she hurried was due in part of the mission; despite having passed other domiciles of magnificent holy warriors, including the temple of the most serious Excalibur, and the temple of the bloodiest scorpion stinger, Valsylia felt worried. She was entering a place with the essence close to God. 

“Do you know it’s forbidden to not wear a mask?” a dignified voice echoed. The Sagittarius turned around quickly, and suddenly saw another Gold Saint. His long hair was bright, as if the power of the holy cloth sunk into each and every strand. A red bindi adorned his forehead; there was a feeling of deep wisdom from the young man. Motionless and in a meditative posture on his prayer mat, his lips moved.

“No matter your conviction, your gender hasn’t changed,” he said. _Is he testing me, or provoking me?_ Val wondered. She also wondered how the Gold Saint knew that she was without a mask when his eyes were closed. 

“I do this to stand next to everyone. It is a result of me abandoning my nature, so it is akin to wearing a mask,” She replied. “Will you let me pass, Guardian of the Virgo Temple?”

Virgo Asmita said nothing, or maybe he was pondering. It was the law of the Sanctuary for the female Saints to wear an emotionless mask, so that they wouldn't inevitably bewitch their allies. Since the beginning of time, even in the mythological era, the woman whether a mortal or deity was a vicious (and easily humiliated) creature. That was too true even in the world of Buddha; however, Asmita knew he was conversing with one of the same stature – a bearer of the Gold Cloth.

“You, who understands the sin of gender, know that a mask doesn’t have a magical power. From my teachings, I must learn to steer away from vanity.” Feeling a little impatient, Valsylia kept pressing on for approval, and clutched a crucified rosary that hung around her neck. 

“Because you have wings, you have a stubborn nature. As expected from one born from the archer’s star.” Asmita said. Virgo was highly recognized for his apathetic aspect. Even the other Saints thought that he was so hard to discern that they questioned his loyalty. 

“Are you scolding me, Asmita? Is this criticism?” Val asked, her eyes narrowing. The rhythm of her voice expressed a growing agitation. Asmita was not fazed; he stayed in his posture like a rock, unmoved by Sagittarius’s goading. Would a man close to God know mercy or mistake? Val let out a calming sigh and raised her hand.

“Where I am from Asmita,” Valsylia continued, and pinched the trimmed edges of her hair strands, “the veil represents humility and submission. Every man and woman has a star. Even if one is dimmer than the other, they are not insignificant in the galaxies. I am given a cloth, therefore, I chose this path. The star has chosen me to don this cloth,” Val paused to scratch her cheek. “Still, I didn’t expect it to be so soon.”

Asmita wouldn't speak for a moment, and it made Val believe that he was contemplating over her words. His eyebrows wrinkled, “Within the constellation of Sagittarius, something dark and despairing hovers. Do you have doubts? Are you shaking from something?” he asked.

“If there is a kind of defilement within me, I will seek it and defeat it.” Valsylia pronounced, tightening the grip on her rosary.

“Maybe it is not you,” Asmita hummed, “but the previous owner.”

“Master? Not possible!” She said, her eyes widening. “He is a pure and kind man.”

“A very kind man, yes,” Asmita slightly inclined his head, “however, even a pure-hearted man can be covered with dirt. And it is the destiny of that kind of man to clean out the dirt in order to shine.”

The Sagittarius Saint listened. Asmita continued, “Struggle is inevitable. In many cases it takes struggle to show the true luster of your spirit. Sagittarius, if it’s a bad star you seek, it is a soul corrupted and trapped. Our great enemy is the one who swallows the taints of humans and enslaves them.”

“Hades,” Valsylia hissed the name in between her teeth. The King of the Underworld, Hades was a God who always sung about an “ultimate color”, where all the colors come together to become black. Everything was only pure, saved from purgatory, when wiped away. Valsylia, hearing how a God who seemed to pleasure himself over such a dark destiny, couldn't help but feel bile in her body.

“In simple words, there has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.” After Asmita concluded his words, Valsylia spun around to leave. She told the Virgo Saint that she had to leave immediately to go to where the dark stars manifest. Departing from the sixth temple, she rushed through the remaining temples as if in utter urgency. As if someone was going to die if she didn't come to aid.

“I can feel a gentle civility, like she believes in the good fortune of this foolish humanity. She is a little straightforward, but does not get confused by a hoax,” Asmita said, and then smiled, “The Sagittarius Saints are known for their sagacity and respect. This should be a fine test for her.” The sound of footsteps entered the Virgo House once more. Asmita heard them closing in from behind and he discarded his smile.

“Are you going to follow her, Capricorn El Cid?”


	3. Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a Greek village, the Saints' greatest enemies attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From African myth, an Impuldulu is a vampire bird that serves as a witch's familiar. It is said that they cause thunderstorms.
> 
> A mandrake is also called a mandragora.
> 
> Surplice are the cloths (armor) of the Specters, soldiers of Hades, based on mythological beasts. Many are from European and Asian lore.

"Stand back! It is evil!" said the old nun Marina, who shuffled through a large crowd. In Aigaleo, a village in Greece, many people gathered conspicuously at its center. Marina briskly made her way through the parting crowd and towards the attraction.

Planted in the ground was a large full-rounded crater. A villager stated that it was about fifteen walking steps wide. It was completely black, as if devoured by a deep raging fire. What actually had enticed the villagers to come was a flash of light; an explosion followed afterward, which actually left the crater.

"This isn't ordinary," Marina said, shaking her head. "No, it is a grim sign of a struggle, a war between good and evil."

Witnessing the sight, the villagers considered the charred pit the work of an angry God. They looked closer, and lying inside of the crater was a limp man. His entire body was as black as the pit he laid in.

Then nearby, a house exploded. The crowd looked to face flying dust and pieces of wood; two black appendages swiftly emerge from the ground and swiftly coil around a man and woman. They felt their bodies tightening, like being trapped in between the clutches of voracious boas, and they scream out desperately. They felt their life being crushed out of them.

Another shrill cry followed after. A house plus market stalls along the roadside leveled, torn from the ground by a funnel of air ripping through the village. The residents screamed and held their ears; the funnel flowed by them, and suddenly their muscles lost strength. Many collapse to the ground after their legs gave out.

"Muh!" Marina groaned after being struck by the pressure. A tremor coursed through her brittle body, causing her to fall to her knees and hands. Bowing her head, her face nearly touched the ground.

Two figures in stark black armor appeared in the village. They strolled among the fallen with smiles upon their faces, like they reveled upon the results of a triumphed battle.

"How do you like it, you pathetic humans," one asked haughtily, "to feel a pain that'll languidly lead you to the world of the dead?"

"Keh keh keh!" The other cackled. The tentacles that gripped the man and women led to him; after feeling their life, or their bones, giving out, he released his prey. The man and the woman slumped to the ground.

The two simply looked devious, clad in the Cloths of grotesque beasts. Present at the destruction, their grins have yet to wane. It was as if they gave into the disgusting monsters that consumed their bodies, and as a result, they delighted in savagery.

"I am the Celestial Star of Pain, Mandrake Fyodor." Upon entering Aigaleo, it was Fyodor who spoke first. He was tall and lean, looked very human, but had a ruffian aspect with his eye patch. A white tatter drooped from his helmet. In truth, it was a reminder of his Surplice: the mandrake flower. Because of its occult background, its pale color resembled a corpse during the earliest moments of decomposition. Fyodor was a brigand of human lives, and as he smiled, he showed his sadistic nature.

"I am the Terrestrial Star of Concealment, Worm Raimi," said the tentacle one. He was a short fellow with a hunched body and a round feral-looking face. His teeth was jagged like a wild animal.

Every conscious being that laid eyes on them groaned. Their fear was enormous.

The two were spectacles from ancient stories and paintings; they were, like the Gods, were hardly seen in person. Tales described them as death bearers and black ghosts, giving them a befitting name: Specters. Along with the epics of Athena and her warriors, word spread of the Specters being the Saints's most frightening enemies. They were the army of Hades, who pursued eternal darkness upon the world.

"In the end, only peace awaits in the Afterlife. Let us teach you the bane of the mortal world," Fyodor said grinning, pleased at what he said.

"Enough of this!" Someone demanded firmly. Raimi and Fyodor scanned among the injured and the dead villagers, expecting someone to rise, someone bold enough to defy them. Then, they turned around, and saw a white silk cape.

"Oooh!" It took them a short moment to take in the full features: they were deeply allured by the sight of wings and a golden body.

"Dark stars, I won't let you continue what you please!" It was Valsylia.

"Oh ho, look, look! A Gold Saint!"

Elsewhere in Aigaleo, there was a watchful eye of the destruction. Frog Zelos gawked through the window of another house. Strewing the floor around him were the ashen black bodies of dead villagers.

"The finest of Athena's Saints," said another Specter next to him.

"Their bodies shine with light. With their light gone, the Sanctuary will fade even more." Zelos snickered and rubbed his hands together. "It is a perfect prize for our Lord Hades. By the way," The Frog Specter turned his head, and gave the other Specter a snide look.

"ain't that the one you supposedly killed?" he asked.

The other Specter said nothing; his hands, covered in clawed gauntlets, curled into fists. Zelos hummed with interest.

"Such a stubborn Gold Saint. Maybe it's a good time for payback," he said.

"The conclusion will be the same!"

"Yes yes, fly young one. Spread your wings and show your worth." Zelos laughed, and the other Specter departed.

"A new face?" Fyodor frowned from his words, "but I heard that the Sagittarius Gold Saint was killed. So who might you be then?" The Mandrake Specter took steps forward. Against the golden light, he was unafraid. He approached closer, and then he clearly noticed a large difference. The Mandrake Specter let out a weak laugh and smirked.

"Oh? What do we have here? Are you, are you his wife?" Fyodor began his taunt. His words carried a tone of delight. "A bereaving wife whose mind is muddled with grief? Or are you his sister, missing her blood?"

An arm's length separated between the Specter and the Gold Saint.

"Or maybe you are his deeply saddened friend?" Fyodor made his first move – a flying spiral into the air. The Sagittarius swung her arm from a nether stance, and that fist of hers, which could split the sky, pummeled right into Fyodor's gut.

"Uwaah!"

"What?!" Raimi screeched. After ascending several feet, Fyodor slammed hard into the ground.

"Is a Saint truly dead?" Valsylia said, lowering her arm. "Among the constellations, it is perhaps the Sagittarius Cloth that bears the most will of Athena."

"Why you!" Fyodor hissed. Regaining his senses, the Mandrake Specter slowly rose to his feet. He glared angrily at Val.

"Keh?! Saint of Athena, for the heresy against our Lord Hades, you will be sent to the underworld. Worm Bind!" Raimi screamed, extending his arms. His tentacles burrow into the ground and rapidly snake towards Valsylia underneath a ripple of dust. The feelers rose from the earth and grip around Val's limbs, neck, and torso with ease. The Gold Saint felt her body getting taut.

Fyodor grinned at the trapped Saint.

"Not even a Gold Saint can elude the calling," he paused, and on his chest he touched the shape of a face, "of death!" The face became alive, its eyes and mouth widening. It let out a piercing scream.

"Die from my Strangling Shrill!" yelled Fyodor. Val felt the violent wave move past her body, tensing her muscles. She clenched her teeth as the scream also grated through her ears and brain. Pain froze her nerves head to toe, she was even unable to winch. It was the same attack as before, which rendered Marina and the other villagers motionless. Both Specters laughed.

After the Shrill, Valsylia sighed, and was able to stand. Her arms tugged Raimei's feelers.

"Huh?!" Raimi gawked, then screamed. A gold aura formed around Val's Cloth, and the tentacles of the Worm Bind suddenly shattered around her. She waved her arms freely.

"What?! She still moves?!" Fyodor's attention was quickly diverted as he heard a sound. He looked down at his Surplice, and saw a crack in the face.

"There is this popular saying among us Saints," Not worried by the slightest, Val raised her hand and splayed her fingers.

"I have you!" Flustered, Fyodor charged the Gold Saint as he swore that he was in control. His sadism would not be gratified if he were unable to bring Sagittarius to her knees, to break her Cloth, to see her life fade from her slowly. More importantly, he had to prove his worth to Lord Hades.

Val narrowed her eyes and finished her words: "that the same technique doesn't work twice!"

The Sagittarius closed her palm, and a burst of light sliced right through Fyodor like an arrow. Passing through his back, it also struck Raimi.

"Keeeeh!" The Worm Specter screamed; the Mandrake was breathless. They felt a hot cosmic flux running through them, and their bodies ripped open with a gaping wound. Propelled off their feet, both Specters flew into a damaged house.

"Marina!" Valsylia noticed the black habit and ran up to the doubled over nun, placing her hands on her shoulders.

"It looks like...it has begun." Marina's words seeped out weakly. She looked up at Val with a concerning look on her face.

"It must be fate to fight you," said a new voice.

Valsylia stood and turned around, seeing another Specter. Unlike Fyodor and Raimi, the Specter was in the Surplice of an avian. He had a similar pose like Fyodor, being a tall young man. His hair was white and his helmet was shaped in a curved bird-like crest. Tucked behind his back were elliptical slotted wings.

"Who are you?" Valsylia asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I am the Celestial Star of Murder, Impudululu Gunnar," The specter said, then his mouth crooked into a smile of confidence. He pointed a finger at Val, "Sagittarius, I will make you fall once again."

"'Once again'?" Valsylia raised her eyebrows, seeing an electrical charge crackle around the new Specter's body. Gunnar's blue eyes were fierce; despite facing a Gold Saint, and the defeat of Fyodor and Raimi, his desire to fight was transparent. The Specter did not waver against Val's mighty presence, her being one of the strongest among Athena's army.

"Guh!" Val suddenly flinched from a blink of light. She felt a blow against her midsection, and was shoved away from Marina. She kept her footing; wisps of smoke rose from the Gold Cloth.

The Specter scowled.

"Keh, I did not break through," Gunnar sounded disappointed. Valsylia looked down at her cuirass and palmed her constellation symbol. _What was that_ , she thought. She had felt a cosmic energy trying to break through her, but it only left a small burn.

"Sagittarius. The sunlight that you resonate from your body," Gunnar said, "the same with the hope from your heart, I am familiar with it." Valsylia looked up to stare at the Specter with adamant eyes, while being a little confused from the attack. She could not discern it.

Gunnar continued, "However, the Surplice that I wear is a symbol of purging life, perfect for my Lord Hades." The crackling energy formed again, surging around the Specter's body. It amplified around his clawed gauntlets, which lit up like beacons, "You have the eyes of a confident soldier. However, I will crush your bravado. The will of Athena cannot save you from my technique of death!"

Gunnar flicked his finger and cried, "Omen Lightning!" A roar cast out, and a jagged light flew towards Valsylia.


	4. Impuldulu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celestial Killing Specter Impuldulu Gunnar versus Sagittarius Valsylia.  
> The true war hasn't begun yet.

  
**Chapter 3:**  Impuldulu

From the tip of Gunnar's finger, a form of lightning stretched towards Valsylia. The Gold Saint trusted her warrior instincts, honed from her youth inhabiting the Sanctuary and the cliffs of Greece, and moved her feet. The lightning passed her; she closed in and then jabbed. Her fist raced towards the Specter, enforced by her run. Gunnar swerved, positioning his body next to Valsylia's flank. He raised a hand. Quickly, she spun around; the claws of Gunnar's gauntlet splayed, threatening to strike, then the Specter gasped. Before his claw could rake the Gold Saint, Impuldulu Gunnar was stunned. Valsylia's elbow struck the Surplice in its center, and it left the vampiric bird Specter out of breath. Shock appeared on his face as if fear was instilled into him.

 _Damn_ , Gunnar could only think. He gripped his chest and bowed over. He rarely saw female Saints, especially those that he could consider a threat. His foe, however, standing on par with the men of Saints, could leave an impression from the Comsos channeled through her attacks. The blow captured his entire body – from one single strike.

"Leave this village at once, Specter!" From her tone, Val felt affirmed that she had won.

"Shameful," Gunnar said. "I am still not yet a warrior." His words were filled with pity. Valsylia did not understand what that meant, but she didn't feel uneasy. Having stood toe to toe with a few of the Saints' greatest foes, the tension within Aigaleo decreased. Val, after Gunnar flinched, went to help Marina back to her feet.

"Your Cosmos." Both Gunnar's voice and eyes carried defiance. He watched the Gold Saint. "You're  _not_  that strong."

He spoke like it was truth. Holding her friend, Valsylia returned her spiteful gaze.  _It is bravado_ , she thought. She felt it through her strikes that Gunnar was delicate; it was the same Raimi and Fyodor. It was a little surprising that the sense of threat was almost non-existent.

The Specters' power, in reality, wasn't enough to break the Gold Saint. It was because of their Lord: the ruler of the Underworld, Hades.

Hades was not, as many his servants would say, "being merciful", but his coming was still far from close. He continued to rest in Elysium; however, his lethargic soul was creeping within an unsuspecting vessel. Side by side with Hades's dawdling return came his soldiers, the Specters, whose strength emerged along with him.

"What gravitates me to Sagittarius?" Gunnar spoke as if he was deliberating about the past. After the attack, he finally straightened his body. He had a perturbed expression on his face. His Omen Lightning didn't strike twice, and his Blight Claw couldn't inflict its deadly curse upon Valsylia.

But quickly he smiled. "I guess he is dead if you're wearing that Cloth."

Valsylia gritted her teeth and moved in front of Marina. The Cloth's large wings spread out.

"Where do you know him from? What have you done?" Surprisingly, she asked with a soft patience. The resent she hid inside was only simmering.

Before an answer, there was a giggle.

"Is he dead?" Hopping from behind a broken house and into view was Frog Zelos. Both Val and Gunnar turned to see the short-statured Specter.

"Heh heh hehe" Zelos grinned from ear to ear. He teased as if unworried.

"Where did Gunnar meet him? Let's ask," He said, then his eyes swerved to the Impuldulu Specter. "Since it looks like you're having trouble."

Gunnar's face furrowed, "I refuse!" He frowned.

"Marina!" came another cry. It was clearly a girl's voice.

Valsylia turned around, and the heated feelings stirring inside her body changed. When a Gold Saint faced a strong opponent, it was usually one on one; as a result, the Saint moved with an intuitive focus.

Now, her courage was replaced with great concern.

"Don't!"


	5. Sisyphos (Sisifo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sagittarius Sisyphos, in the eyes of Athena's vessel: Sasha.

My name is Sasha.

The vessel of Athena, a Goddess of Justice.

Mister Sisyphos was taking me to a place called "The Sanctuary". Hearing that word, I felt a sense of responsibility welling up inside of me. He carried my hand like an older brother, and we left the village where I was raised. The village where I, and other children, were placated while having to live in such rough times.

To do that, to take me away from the orphanage, from my family, Mister Sisyphos faced what he did like an oath. He, bowing before me like a servant to his queen, insisted that I went with him. It was as if the fate of the world rested upon my decision.

"You better take care of her! If you don't, I'll beat you up!" said my reckless friend Tenma. His demanding words lodged into my heart; even Mister Sisyphos smiled. Tenma didn't feel the sorrow of parting, but instead he was the kind of boy who delivered assurance. He hoped that one of his best friends was in the just hands of humanity.

Maybe I should say that my leave was more like an older brother transferring the duty of "caring" to another older brother? Therefore, I felt hope.

Mister Sisyphos and I left, and then there was another who entered our path.

"I am the Heavenly Star of Murder, Impudulu Gunnar." After the stranger's introduction, Sisyphos stretched an arm in front of me. I looked up at him and saw his serious stare. It was as if I was being violated or threatened. My life, his oath. I did not understand who or what Gunnar was, but his attire was dark, and I was afraid. And the spirit of Athena within me sensed a terrible presence. Mister Sisyphos must've felt the same.

"Today I'm going to prove myself a mighty warrior," the Heavenly Star said. "Goddess Athena, your life is mine."

"Specter, I won't allow it!"

Suddenly,  _they_  sprouted from Mister Sisyphos's longcoat: I saw his large gold wings. It was like he was an angel. They were warm, his energy, like a sun existed within him.

"Calamity Storm!" A billow of black clouds spread out from Gunnar's body, and creep towards the both Mister Sisypohos and me. My foreboding increased; the clouds had a dark violent energy that radiated death.

Mister Sisyphos pushed me out of the way. The clouds covered him; then, I heard loud crashing sounds. It stilled my body with horror, hearing the repeating sound of thunder along with the scream of Mister Sisyphos. The clouds cleared, revealing him, his body covered in glistening gold armor. His armor was scorched, energy crackling around him. He fell to his knees; was he hit by lightning?!

_Mister Sisyphos, why were you still alive_?! I thought that, and yet at the same time, along with my fear, I felt that I was absolutely protected.

"You're still standing?!" Gunnar was smirking. "I guess it is to be expected from a Gold Saint, but now you're weak!" The Specter rushed towards Sisyphos with confidence, as if to give the final blow.

"No!" I cried out, and intuitively I was about to move towards the gold man. Athena's thoughts began to overlap with my own –  _don't hurt him, don't kill him_! Gunnar swiped at Sisyphos with his claws.

Then, the claws stalled; Mister Sisyphos caught Gunnar's wrist.

"Specter!" He rose to his feet. Confidence oozed from him, like he was invulnerable from Gunnar's attack. He continued, "The Sagittarius Cloth abides to Athena and her struggles. As she stands, the strength called 'justice' grows." As he said that, his body glowed with a hot aura.

"Hah! Justice cannot elude death." Gunnar said.

"You," the gold man frowned for some reason, "you have a sad Cosmos don't you?"

Gunnar looked angry, as if the question struck a nerve. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

I wondered the same. Gunnar was spoken to like some poor creature.

"I will show you what kindness can overcome." Mister Sisyphos's voice was soft. He didn't sound worried at all. He pulled back his arm and swung it in a jab. My mind could not comprehend it; maybe it was the goddess within in, but the light from Sysyphos's body was sent outward and scattered into shooting stars.

"Atomic Thunderbolt!" He cried out. It was like a nightmare being cast away from me by the light of Mister Sisyphos's Cosmos. It was bright and warm, and with it I felt trust. Since I was a little girl, I first looked up to him as a senior or a guide. Thus, I addressed him not as a superior. But gradually, as I closed in on the land of the Holy Temples, I began to understand who I was. Who Sisyphos was, who the Saints were, and what I was born to do.

The guardian of the Ninth Temple, Sagittarius Sisyphos.

At the Sanctuary, as if from a long journey, the gentle and protective Sisyphos collapsed. The guards came, and Sisyphos said weakly: "It's her, it's Athena. Quickly, take her to the Pope." They took me with urgency and they gathered around the Gold Saint to tend to him.

That was when he disappeared. Only the golden Pandora Box holding his sacred Cloth remained.

That was when the test began.


	6. Despaired Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Protecting Anna, Vasylia is struck by Omen Lightning and mocked for her kindness. Winnow ε strikes, but its power is subdued by a new Specter.

Aigaleo was nearly in ruins.

From the anxiety of expecting the worse, Anna squeezed her eyes shut and dropped to a crouch on impulse. She opened her eyes after a brief moment, and hastily looked up after hearing an explosion. Shiny fragments scattered before her sight.

"Oh look, it worked!" Zelos said, and then cackled. Energy sparked around Gunnar's pointed finger, crackling. Anna was stunned, fear riddling her body; her friend Valsylia, without a word, reclined and fell to the ground. Now in Anna's gaze were the two Specters, who were smirking. Impuldulu Gunnar, after an interval of silence, let out a hearty laugh as if his soul was charged from a long-awaited victory.

A Gold Saint fell. Gunnar was quite pleased that his thunderbolt pierced through his foe's dignified body. Pleased that he broke through one of those ever-so fiery hearts that burned for righteousness, in which many of Athena's Saints impudently boast over. Death ripped through the Gold Cloth like a knife through butter.

"You look pathetic! I cannot die Sagittarius! Your will has been broken!" Gunnar spoke smugly as he posed his arms akimbo.

'Hooray! You did it!" Zelos said, clapping his hands. "Hooray! Hooray!"

"No." Anna could not understand what happened; or rather, she could not accept it. "No!" Her cry was anguishing, having seen the superior of the Saints collapse. Even more so, her friend. Anna hesitated as if unable to process the situation for a second, then she scrambled up to Valsylia, squeezed her shoulders and shook her.

"My God! Val! Valsylia! Are you alright?!" Anna saw that Valsylia's eyes were vacant. Valsylia didn't respond; her Cloth, Sisyphos's Cloth, had a hole in the abdomen. Impundulu Gunnar walked over to Anna and Valsylia to observe his work closer. Looking down at Val, he did not stop smiling. After the beating he received, he was quite pleased to see his Omen Lightning take out Sagittarius. He nodded his head at the hole in Val's breast. Now he knew that he was close to being a reliable warrior, and had the ability to break whatever ridiculous courage Athena's Saints had. After Hades's awakening, he could hunt down the other eleven Golds and their protégés.

"That's what happens when you care about others too much. Now, to take care of you," the Specter said, his eyes set on Anna. He crackled his knuckles. "Not to worry, at least your friend won't suffer when seeing you dead."

"Heh heh!" Frog Zelos, now without any fear of repercussion, cackled loudly and bounded over to Marina. His leg swept the old nun off her feet and onto her face. He placed a hind foot on her cheek. Marina groaned from being pressed hard against the limestone road and the slimy webbing of Zelos's foot.

"First I'll crush your brains and then Sagittarius's!" Zelos's anger and vow was let off through each forceful stomp on Marina's head.

"Stop it!" Anna cried, turning her head to see the heartless image. That's when Gunnar chanced his strike for Anna's head. His claw swung downward, Anna turned around, and the rake stopped abruptly. The claws twitched right before the girl's eyes; at first, Anna was motionless, then she looked up at.

"What?!" Gunnar sounded exasperated. The anger collected to his face, contorting it as he felt resent for whatever intervened with him. His wrist felt twisted, caught in a relentless grasp. He looked down and saw rustling gold wings.

"Someone as unkind as you can't defeat me." Unlike a moment before, Val's eyes were filled with life, a glare contending with Gunnar's. There was still hope in her body.

"Sagittarius!" Gunnar guided his other hand to shoot his lightning, but he made the mistake of ignoring the grip on him. He groaned as he felt his wrist tighten further. His Omen Lightning was stalled from some force, an incomprehensible anxiety or sense of bewilderment that was collecting within him.

"I won't let Sin befall on the land." Val rose to her feet. One thing was for sure –she wouldn't lose. She held her wound with her hand; the other slammed into Gunnar's face as a fist. The Specter was launched several paces. The Celestial Stars were near par with the Gold Saints, but Val felt a rivalry against the winged vampire bird.

"Ah, she's alive!" Zelos stood agape. His foot was poised above Marina's head. Val looked over her shoulder, seeing Marina on the ground.

"Eeeeee!" The Frog Specter quickly bounced past the Gold Saint and after Gunnar. Val watched him, waiting.

_I saw a memory?_ She thought. Her thoughts were occupying her. While unconscious, she saw the vessel of Athena and the previous Sagittarius Saint. She had noticed two others: a boy named Tenma, and threatening both Gold Saint and Goddess, and raising the suspicion of Sisyphos's current state was the avian Specter she was fighting now.

Valsylia was slightly older than the other orphans who trained to become Saints. After being taken from a local orphanage of Aigaleo to train in the Sanctuary, it would be long before she could understand the true voice of the stars. She was told that Saints, training further to become stronger, grew to understand their predestined link to their constellations. And more so, their Cloths. It might have, she thought, been due to the circumstances formed by the Holy War. Or was it due to Sisyphos's disappearance?

Did she see through the soul of the previous Cloth wearer?

"Master Sisyphos. You-" Her mumble trailed off. A gold aura formed around her. It rippled like a flame, foreboding some kind of destruction. Then, her pose changed. Her eyes were fixed on Gunnar and Zelos, filled with anger. Superficially, it looked that way; in truth, she brimmed with fiery determination. Standing upright, Valsylia parted her feet and raised both hands at shoulder level. One arm stretched outward and her entire pose was taut.

Then, her Cosmos congealed into a large sphere in front of her. Undaunted, Gunnar splayed his wings and rushed towards the Cosmos sphere screaming vehemently.

"You who've harmed Master Sisyphos, and you who've attacked my home and stomped on my mother! Winnowing Epsilon!" The sphere was launched, along with it a large gale.

"GAAAHHH!" The new attack headed for both Specters, who were quickly immobilized with awe by the wind. They watched a bomb closing in on them, screaming as if it were their ends. That bomb, before reaching their targets, soon broke apart, scattering into a large array of light arrows. After the flashy appearance, the Willowing Epsilon died down. Valsylia's Cosmo ebbed; she breathed, expecting nothing but a peaceful solitude. The kind that was felt after a weary war when the arms were lowed and a long sought for peace was finally acquired. It was quiet.

In front of Val were Impundulu Gunnar and Zelos, who were completely stunned. Between them and her was an arrow lodged in the ground. Both Specters were unharmed.

"How ironic," Gunnar said drearily. He leaned his head back, looking up. "Look, look who is before you." His voice didn't seem directed towards Val.

"What?" Confused, she looked at Gunnar then at the arrow. The Willowing Epsilon were not arrows laced in Cosmos, therefore she was perplexed by what she saw. Not just an arrow, but a black arrow. The wind picked up, and harmlessly floating by her head were black feathers.

A new dark presence landed in front of Gunnar and Zelos. Clearly, it looked like another man in a winged Surplice. He was armed with a bow and his wide slotted wings obscured both of his companions.

"Look who is before you." Gunnar repeated again, his mouth lifting into a smile. Valsylia's eyes widened.

The new Specter spoke, his tone low and drawl, "It is—"

"That's right." Gunnar said. "So you know what that means right? Your Goddess has abandoned you."

"Abandoned?!"

"Your Goddess has replaced you for your crimes."

"I see," he muttered under his breath, "I am…no longer a Saint."

"Yesssss," Zelos hissed happily.

"I do not deserve it." He said pitifully. His voice have lost luster, and the Specter fell to his knees.


End file.
